Health benefits of Pumpkin for your dog

There are many health benefits of Pumpkin for your dog!

Yes! Your dog can eat pumpkin and there are many health benefits, nutritional values and it tastes delicious for your dog.

As well as a balanced diet, many vets recommend enhancing your dog’s food with additional supplements that offer the right amounts of vitamins and other needed nutrients. This is where pumpkin for dogs becomes helpful in your dog’s diet.

Dogs are subject to several dietary deficiencies, which can cause significant health problems. Some of the most common are inadequate protein, iron, copper, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and E. All of these can lead to reduced immunity, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

What are the health benefits of Pumpkin for your dog?

Vitamins and Minerals

Pumpkin is packed full of nutrients for your dogs health. It is a super source of Vitamins A, E, and C, which are important for the immune system, brain function, eyes, and skin health. Pumpkin also contains important minerals like potassium, copper, manganese, and iron.

Antioxidants

Pumpkins are full of antioxidants for your dog. Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in your dogs body. Free radicals are compounds that can cause harm if their levels become too high. They’re linked to multiple illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Your dogs body has its own antioxidant defenses to keep free radicals in check.

However, antioxidants are also found in food, especially in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based, whole foods. Several vitamins, such as vitamins E and C, are effective antioxidants.

Eye Health

The beautiful bright orange in pumpkins shows that they are packed with carotenoids such as beta-carotene, which help neutralize free radicals. The lutein and zeaxanthin found in pumpkin also promotes eye health and makes it yet another whole food that protects against macular generation. Even pumpkin seeds carry lots of benefits, including Omega-3, zinc and phytosterols to enhance your dog’s immune response.

Improves dry skin

Pumpkins contain a high moisture content. Normal dry dog food and kibble can lack ingredients and nutrients. Adding pumpkin as an additional food source in your dogs meals that can contribute to extra vitamins and minerals. The additional water and Zinc from the pumpkin will help improve dry skin, skin conditions such as eczema and overall health.

Pumpkin for your dog – Promotes healthy digestion

Being high in water and high in fibre, pumpkins are the perfect superfood to improve your dogs digestion. The water and the fibre work together, creating healthy poop. The fibre helps create a healthy solid stool. Pumpkins are also a great source of prebiotics, improving your dogs gas and bloating. Prebiotics help improve digestive health by introducing good bacteria into the intestinal tracts to help in the breakdown of foods and the production of waste.

Why pumpkin can also be bad for your dog

While pumpkin in your dog’s diet can be extremely beneficial, too much can contribute to too much fiber and can be dangerous. Adding a lot of fiber from pumpkin or other fiber-rich foods may decrease how much protein and other nutrients your pet can absorb from their food, putting them at risk for deficiencies.

Try our pumpkin based products

Swish London have a selection of pumpkin favoured products. Pumpkin Macarons, Pumpkin Bones and Pumpkin Pet Friendly Candles.

So feed your dog pumpkin as an additional treat and to help with extra nutrients making your dogs food more exciting. But keep the quantities to a tasteful level.